published articles and it goes, IMO, to the core of "Social Justice" issue. I think the larger Forum population should "weigh in" on this, but for the moment, I'll 'bulletize' some thoughts...first wrt Fr. Maguire's homily, and then a broader perspective...
>Brendan's mother impressed on her son that "Mrs O'Brien" was raising 8 children, and since she (Mrs. Maguire) was herself raising 12 kids, she fully understood the stress Mrs. O'Brien was under...therefore her comment "I will ALWAYS give her some money"...This level of 'connectedness' is rare in the lives of most Americans today.
>Mrs. Maguire also treated the "Tinker Lady" with respect, because they shared an unspoken 'bond' of, shall we say "extreme motherhood"...and as such she called her by name. Again, the lack of 'connectedness' in the country between those who "Have" and those who "Don't Have" works against this sense of Respect.
For me, these two 'takeaways' say that "True Charity" comes from the "Giver" and "Receiver" coming closer together.
On a broader scale, the "Need" is so large, that reliance on only those with a "charitable bone in their body" can in no way meet it...therefore, government involvement is essential. Because my grandfather emigrated to this country from Ireland, I'm especially attuned to the attitudes of the British government during the time of the Irish Famine...there were many prominent people in England who sympathized with the plight of the Irish (See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Relief_Association), but clearly their charity fell far short of the actual need. Had the government - which had more than enough resources to resolve the problem - acted as a 'Charitable Agent' for ALL Britons...many lives would have been saved...AND they might have retained "ownership" of island 'in toto'.
Let's carry on with the whole Board and see if an 'agreeable' approach evolves...